Evaluate
Weigh the pros and cons of technologies, products and projects you are considering.
Evaluate
Weigh the pros and cons of technologies, products and projects you are considering.
SAN virtualization: Products and best practices for storage virtualization
Learn how to best implement SAN virtualization in our collection of top articles on storage virtualization products and best practices. Continue Reading
Users say choosing the best SMB NAS system has gotten a little easier
Choosing an SMB NAS system has gotten a lot easier, thanks to a plethora of vendors offering full-featured products priced right for SMBs. Continue Reading
Using iSCSI for virtual server environments
In this podcast interview, Mike Laverick discusses the pros and cons of using iSCSI for virtual server environments. Learn how to implement and configure iSCSI and more. Continue Reading
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Storage virtualization products: An important niche
Storage virtualization products help IT shops in need of non-disruptive data migration, tech refreshes and life support for aging storage assets. Continue Reading
SSD caching vs. primary storage for data placement
SSD caching and primary storage are the two main ways to implement solid-state storage technology with respect to data placement. We explain both strategies. Continue Reading
Cloud storage options: Public vs. private vs. hybrid cloud storage
Cloud storage options include public cloud, private cloud and hybrid cloud storage. We weigh their scalability, security, performance, reliability and cost.Continue Reading
Virtual server tutorial: Managing a server virtualization environment
This virtual server tutorial evaluates network storage options for virtual servers, describes the VMware vStorage APIs and discusses VMware virtual servers.Continue Reading
Storage area network basics you need to know before you buy a SAN
Before you buy a SAN for your SMB, be sure to review these storage area network basics first.Continue Reading
Choosing the best virtual server storage: A tutorial
Choosing primary storage for virtual servers involves balancing performance, capacity, features, and costs. Learn the key factors to pick the best virtual-server storage system.Continue Reading
Getting started with an iSCSI storage system: An iSCSI primer
A lot of SMBs are realizing that iSCSI is a good fit for them. Find out what you need to get started with your first iSCSI storage system.Continue Reading
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Solid-state storage technology: Transforming storage with NAND flash
Solid-state storage technology is poised to revolutionize data storage with new implementations of NAND flash; discover the benefits of solid-state storage.Continue Reading
Data storage trends 2011: Predictions of hot data storage technologies
Explore this expert FAQ as three analysts weight in and tell us what they think are the hottest data storage technologies and data storage trends for 2011.Continue Reading
Six tips for buying a used storage system
Are you thinking of buying second-hand data storage equipment to save money? Read these six tips before you buy a used storage system.Continue Reading
Storage virtualization technology benefits and drawbacks
We outline the benefits and drawbacks of storage virtualization technology, and tell you how to implement data storage virtualization into your environment.Continue Reading
VDI technology: What you need to know to implement VDI at your company
Our VDI technology assessment helps users construct a VDI project plan, provides VDI licensing info and discusses the challenges of implementing VDI storageContinue Reading
Incorporating an iSCSI storage system into your Ethernet network
iSCSI storage systems have many benefits for SMBs. Here's what you need to know before incorporating iSCSI into your existing Ethernet network.Continue Reading
Hitachi Data Systems releases Virtual Storage Platform (VSP) enterprise storage array
Hitachi Data Systems upgrades its high-end storage array; Virtual Storage Platform (VSP) scales higher than its previous system and supports more granular tiering and provisioning.Continue Reading
Choosing a SAN technology: Fibre Channel vs. iSCSI
In part three of our series, we examine several misconceptions about FC vs. ISCSI SANs and how to choose the right SAN technology for your SMB.Continue Reading
How RAID storage systems protect your application data
RAID storage systems improve application performance and data availability. Learn about RAID levels and choosing the right RAID technology.Continue Reading
Clustered NAS: How to choose the right clustered NAS system
Finding the right clustered NAS (or scale-out NAS) system means knowing your storage needs. Learn the questions to ask when evaluating your requirements and the latest offerings.Continue Reading
Implementing an electronic records retention system
Learn the components of an electronic records retention system and best practices for implementing an electronic data discovery policy. Don't risk e-discovery request errors.Continue Reading
Data reduction techniques for primary data storage systems
Learn about the most popular data reduction techniques for your primary data storage systems.Continue Reading
Self-healing systems and RAID technology
Find out how Atrato, DataDirect Networks, Panasas and Xiotech use RAID technology in self-healing systems and also deal with hard disk drive (HDD) failures.Continue Reading
Affordable shared storage options for VMware vSphere
In order to use many of the advanced features in VMware vSphere, you need a shared storage device. This tip offers a list of the most common shared storage options from different vendors.Continue Reading
Disk archiving appliance types: High-end systems to low-end email archiving appliances
Learn about the basic types of disk archiving appliances, from high-end disk archiving systems that handle multiple content types to low-end disk-based archive appliances.Continue Reading
SRM tools: Choosing the right storage resource management tool for storage provisioning
SRM tools offer capacity reporting, including change management and chargeback, but can be pricey and complicated. Here's what you should know before you invest in SRM tools.Continue Reading
pNFS spec for faster file service arrives, but NAS systems lack capable clients
The NFSv4.1 protocol with pNFS technology promises to deliver better performance and easier management when delivering large files. NetApp, EMC and Panasas will provide code and engineering talent.Continue Reading
What is a clustered storage system?
Discover the differences between clustered storage systems, distributed computing systems and mainframe systems as they relate to enterprise data storage environments.Continue Reading
What are the pros and cons of working with a storage VAR for small businesses?
Greg Schulz explains the pros and cons of working with VARs in SMB environments in this expert response.Continue Reading
What high-availability storage options are available for small businesses?
Greg Schulz discusses different high-availability options that are available to SMBs in this expert response.Continue Reading
The components that make up a well-balanced data storage system
Learn about the various components in your data storage system including server architecture, HBAs, SAN components and external disks and disk controllers.Continue Reading
Choosing and implementing a host bus adapter for small and medium businesses
Host bus adapters can also be a common pain point when setting up your storage environment. Tony Palmer, senior lab engineer with Enterprise Strategy Group, answers some frequently asked questions about HBAs in this Q&A.Continue Reading
HP IO Accelerator cards let Answers.com implement solid-state storage for database performance boost
To improve database performance on its Web servers, Answers.com implements solid-state storage using HP IO Accelerator cards; sees a 900% increase in the number of queries each database server can handle.Continue Reading
Solid-state drives vs. hard disk drives: How to justify the cost of an SSD
Learn about the best use cases for solid-state drives (SSDs) and why applications that directly impact revenue are a perfect fit for the technology.Continue Reading
The pros and cons of removable disk storage for small businesses
Removable disk storage is making its way back into data storage environments. Find out what the pros and cons are for disk compared to tape.Continue Reading
The pros and cons of RAID disk arrays in small business data storage environments
RAID is commonly used in many data storage environments for added data protection, however there are several drawbacks when using RAID.Continue Reading
Choosing a NAS filer for small and medium-sized businesses
Learn what a NAS filer is, if it's suitable for your SMB and how to choose the right one for your data storage environment.Continue Reading
Director switch comparison: Brocade DCX Backbone versus Cisco Systems MDS 9500
Are you looking for director switch for your SAN? We compare the Brocade DCX Backbone and Cisco Systems MDS 9500 offerings in terms of latency, throughput and FCoE support.Continue Reading
Data file archiving for small businesses: Determining what file archive tools to use for your SMB
Learn how to determine what file archive tools are best for your organization in this FAQ.Continue Reading
Performance metrics: Evaluating your data storage efficiency
Learn how performance metrics can evaluate the efficiency of your enterprise data storage resources in terms of capacity utilization, performance and data protection.Continue Reading
Tools and techniques for reducing your enterprise data storage footprint
Find out how storage managers can reduce their enterprise data management footprint. Learn about the importance of managing your data and the various tools for doing so, including data archiving, thin provisioning and data deduplication.Continue Reading
Data storage for virtual environments: Pros and cons of DAS, NAS, and SAN
Learn about the pros and cons of DAS, NAS, and SAN storage technologies for your virtual environment.Continue Reading
How to select a storage resource management (SRM) tool
SRM tools can help you evaluate and leverage your storage infrastructure. Learn the best practices for selecting an SRM tool and how SRM technology can reclaim orphaned storage.Continue Reading
How do I choose the right RAID level for my SMB?
Greg Schulz explains how to choose the right RAID level for your SMB in this Ask the Expert response.Continue Reading
Fibre Channel switch options for SMBs
Recently, the Fibre Channel industry has become more attractive and affordable for SMBs. This article explores FC switch considerations and products for SMBs.Continue Reading
Addressing data storage performance with storage monitoring tools
Enterprise data storage performance bottlenecks can be addressed by a mix of storage-related tools, including operating system tools, storage resource management (SRM) software, SAN monitoring applications and more.Continue Reading
What you need to know about storage encryption products
Encryption products are evolving to occupy different parts of the IT infrastructure. Read our list of products that perform encryption and manage encryption key management.Continue Reading
Enterprise data storage configuration tools: Trends and best practices
Data storage configuration tools are getting easier to use as vendors improve the built-in element managers of storage devices, their storage resource management software and other tools.Continue Reading
Alternatives to Cisco's Unified Computing System: HP BladeSystem Matrix and InteliCloud 360
Looking for alternatives to Cisco's Unified Computing System? HP's BladeSystem Matrix has integrated services, while InteliCloud Inc.'s 360 has an innovative chassis design.Continue Reading
Inside Cisco Systems' Unified Computing System
Cisco's Unified Computing System (UCS) is a new type of enterprise server system. But how will it help data storage professionals solve their server virtualization issues?Continue Reading
Choosing a storage system for data archiving
Learn whether a unified, multiprotocol storage system or a consolidated storage system is best for archiving data in your business. Which one allows the index and content to share space, and eases management?Continue Reading
Server-based operating systems vs. PC-based operating systems
Greg Schulz explains the differences between server-based operating systems and PC-based operating systems in this ATE response.Continue Reading
Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) expands thin provisioning with Storage Reclamation Service and Hitachi Dy
Hitachi Data Systems' thin provisioning now supports midrange disk arrays, an HDS Storage Reclamation Service feature and a new Hitachi Dynamic Provisioning assessment service.Continue Reading
New data archiving products focus on software-only delivery, cloud integration
Emerging data archiving products focus on software-only delivery and grid architecture, latch onto cloud integration and look for alternatives to SQL databases for indexing.Continue Reading
What you need from a third-party storage service provider
Third-party data storage vendors can help SMBs with limited resources make strategic decisions and navigate data storage. This tip will help you make the important decisions that are involved in selecting third-party support.Continue Reading
Choosing a midrange network-attached storage (NAS) system
Midrange network-attached storage (NAS) appliances can be an affordable solution for SMBs in today's do-more-with-less economic climate. Learn how to choose the NAS system that best fits your storage environment.Continue Reading
What are clustered storage architectures?
Learn more about clustered storage architectures and the various vendor products on the market.Continue Reading
How to determine a NAS system's scalability
This tip covers scalability limitations of a network-attached storage (NAS) system, including maxed managed file limits, IOPS and throughput limits, and capacity limits. It can help you avoid application outages that occur when storage reaches ...Continue Reading
Pros and cons of storage capacity management tools
Learn what storage capacity management tools can and can't do by looking at the operational problems they're attempting to solve.Continue Reading
The pros and cons of solid-state drives for notebook computers
A solid-state drive (SSD), like the name suggests, consists of flash memory, similar to what's in USB flash drives or Secure Digital media cards. This tip discusses the The pros and cons of solid-state drives in an SMB environment.Continue Reading
What software tools do you use to manage your storage systems?
Six requirements for deploying primary storage optimization solutions
With companies starting to perform data reduction on primary storage, it's important for them to understand the requirements that primary storage optimization demands.Continue Reading
The pros and cons of thin provisioning
Most storage area networks (SANs) have a section in their marketing material entitled "Thin Provisioning," but what is it, how does it work and why does it matter? In this tip, Mark Arnold discusses how thin provisioning can help with both the ...Continue Reading
Finding the right CAS system for your organization
Content-addressed storage (CAS) is a specialized type of archive that provides the inexpensive and high-capacity storage needed to retain data that, although accessed infrequently, still has long-term relevance to the enterprise.Continue Reading
Choosing the right switch for an iSCSI SAN
ISCSI storage doesn't actually require a switch. However, some iSCSI switches offer advanced capabilities that can increase SAN performance. This article offers information about choosing an iSCSI switch and a user case study.Continue Reading
Small-midsized business NAS product evaluation
NAS is available in a wide variety of sizes, prices and levels of sophistication. This article compares and contrasts four very different NAS systems: the Buffalo TeraStation Pro II Pro, the Reldata 9240, the Synology RS407, and the Western Digital ...Continue Reading
For an SMB, what are the advantages and disadvantages of an in-house email archiving system vs. a ho
There are a lot of pros and cons for both at all business sizes. But SMBs tend to be more price and administration sensitive. In other words, if you are a company that has an annual IT budget from $10,000 to $100,000, you simply can not go out and ...Continue Reading
Product Roundup: Data classification
Over the past few years, data classification has gone from a standalone offering to a feature of broader products.Continue Reading
Host bus adapter (HBA) architecture explained
HBAs are integral pieces of a SAN environment -- they connect the server to the SAN -- but few storage administrators know how to configure them.Continue Reading
NAS system planning strategies
Implementing a NAS environment requires a lot of planning. This tip tells you why location, power and allocation are vital to consider when installing a NAS.Continue Reading
Email archiving product specifications
Product specifications for email and file/document management tools can help storage administrators evaluating email archiving products quickly and compare them.Continue Reading
Selecting archiving products
Some data archives are little more than "dumb" disk arrays, but the more sophisticated archives provide data deduplication for single-instance storage, robust power conservation features and immutability for data that may be needed as evidence in ...Continue Reading
Guide to data migration tools for storage consolidation
One of the hardest parts about storage consolidation is data migration -- knowing what data to move, and when and where to move it. What are the criteria for purchasing a data migration tool?Continue Reading
Hot Storage Skills
As storage becomes more complex and costly, businesses are seeking storage professionals who can architect various tiers of networked storage, document what they've done, and help their business units select the type of storage that best supports ...Continue Reading
Data classification product specifications
The product snapshots in this chapter of the Tiered Storage Buying guide highlight key specifications for a cross-section of data classification products.Continue Reading
Data migration product specifications
This chapter of the Tiered Storage Buying guide focuses on product specifications for data migration tools.Continue Reading
E-discovery product specifications
The product snapshots in this chapter highlight key specifications for a cross section of e-discovery tools.Continue Reading
Finding the right archiving software product for your organization
Archive software provides many of the features we take for granted in modern archive systems, including index and search, data classification and migration, retention and deletion, litigation hold and even data reduction technologies, such as data ...Continue Reading
How to select a storage capacity planning tool
To select a storage management and capacity planning tool, first calculate how much storage is available and how much of your total storage capacity is actually being used.Continue Reading
Clustered storage vendor Isilon hot-swaps CEOs
Beset by disappointing sales since it went public last December, Isilon turns to founder Sujal Patel as its CEO.Continue Reading
Choosing a low-end NAS product
Many low-end NAS products are designed for personal or home office use. However, there are some products on the market suitable for certain SMB or enterprise-level applications. Learn what you need to consider before deploying a low-end NAS product.Continue Reading
When purchasing NAS products, look before you leap
Storage can be added to a network using NAS devices -- dedicated disk-based storage devices that attach to the LAN through an ordinary network connection. NAS devices can be expanded with additional disks, and new NAS appliances can be added as ...Continue Reading
How to choose an e-discovery tool
Here is a list of factors to consider when choosing an e-discovery tool.Continue Reading
NAS gateway product snapshots
A NAS gateway offers file-based accesses to external storage on a disk array -- or a SAN, where users can take advantage of superior performance and reliability while maintaining a level of simplicity. Since storage is moved off of the NAS device, ...Continue Reading
How to choose the correct RAID level
This tip offers nine things to consider when deciding which RAID level is right for your organization's needs.Continue Reading
Choosing a storage virtualization approach
This tip outlines three approaches to storage virtualization available today, along with some benefits, caveats and some examples of each.Continue Reading
Specifications for storage capacity planning products
Gauging storage needs over time is one of the biggest challenges faced by IT administrators, and a new generation of capacity planning tools is emerging to help forecast growth and utilization of storage resources, and even perform predictive ...Continue Reading
What are the disadvantages of unified storage over independent block and file systems?
There are some compromises that you'll need to make; there are certainly some control granularity issues. The pattern of access for file-based data and block-based data is significantly different...Continue Reading
Brocade migration tool does the trick for EMC user
The University of New Mexico Hospital first tried EMC's SANCopy to migrate data off of an old Xiotech array, but ended up having to use Brocade's Data Migration Manager instead.Continue Reading
Five must-have storage security testing tools
You know that your storage systems need to be secured and there are plenty of tools to find general security vulnerabilities. But, what about tools that look specifically at storage security vulnerabilities? There are a handful of these tools that ...Continue Reading
Data storage compliance's impact on storage product choices
Data storage compliance is having a tremendous impact on the storage organization, as well as the management practices employed to retain, search, certify and destroy data. It's not just regulations like SOX or HIPAA that influence storage -- there ...Continue Reading
Data migration products: Proceed with caution
Host-based data migration products are the best choice for moving mission-critical data. While there are only a few products in this category, they vary significantly.Continue Reading
NICs in NAS systems
NAS expert Randy Kerns answers the question: "Is it typical, when using a NAS appliance, that a host/server would have 2xNICs installed?"Continue Reading
NAS checkpoints for NFS and CIFS file systems
NAS expert Randy Kerns discusses NAS checkpoint best practices for NFS and CIFS file systems.Continue Reading
Buyer's Guide: Data classification tools
Automated tools play an important role in the data classification process. Many tools allow administrators to discover the data resources that are available, apply uniform classification rules to data across the entire enterprise, create and manage ...Continue Reading
The winners of Storage magazine's Products of the Year were surprising
Storage Bin: The winners of Storage magazine's Products of the Year were surprising, as so few of them were big-name storage vendors. Here's Steve Duplessie's take on the subject.Continue Reading
Troubleshooting your NAS system
This tip will point out some common sense suggestions and best practices that may help you to create or maintain a more robust and reliable NAS infrastructure.Continue Reading
Data classification: The vendors
Corporate information resources regularly stretch into the terabytes (thousands of gigabytes) with many thousands (even millions) of individual files to contend with -- but the problem is now far more complex than simply "finding files". Finding ...Continue Reading
Which is the best platform for a storage subsystem management tool?
Customer value for features/characteristics
This column originally appeared on TechTarget's Expert Answer Center as a post in Randy Kerns' blog. Randy served as the Continue Reading